Safety razor



June 3,1924. y 1,496,297

i "H, MpcHANcE SAFETY RAZ OR' kFiled June 1o, 1922 v HGH.

Patented lune 3, i224.

HENRY M. CHANCE, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVNXA.

SAFETY RAZOR.

Application led June 10, 1922. Serial No. 567,256.

To all whom it may confiera:

Be it known that I, HENRY M. CHANGE, a citizen of the United States, vresiding at Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Razors, whereof the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to means for the application to adjustable safety razors of the Gillette type, of an improvement in safety razors which I have described and claimed in an application for patent Serial No. 486,- 146, iled July 20, 1921', for improvement in safety razors which consists in confining the adjustability of the cutting edge of such razors within a. range between two fixed limits, one of which provides little or no ex'- -posure of the cutting edges and the other -of which provides maximum exposure of the cutting edges consistentv with a reasonable degree of safety in use.

In adjustable safety razors as usually constructed, when the parts are assembled in position but before the blade is flexed by tightening the clamp, the cutting edges of the blade project beyond lines tangent to the outside faces of the clamp and guard and are about -lkb of an inch above the guard,

presenting an exposure of the cutting edges much exceeding that possible for safe use; but when the blade is flexed by progressive tightening of the clamp, the cutting edges move towards the guard until they reach a position in which they project very slightly beyond a line tangent to the outside faces of the clamp and guard, presenting a' very small exposure of the cutting edges of the blade and a high degree of safety in use. The adjustability of the cutting edges of the blade is through a range extending by imperceptible graduations from a position in which the cutting edge is dangerously exposed to one in which there is very small, if any, exposure. After clamping tightly,

with the cutting edges occupying a positionwith minimum exposure, a very slight reduction in the clamping pressure by a movement ofthe clamp or cover a few thousandths of an in ch is suiicient to increase the yexposure of the cutting edges to the maximum exposure consistent with safety, further reduction in the clamping pressure withbut slight movement of the clamp or cover increasing this exposure to one inconsistent with safety in use. v i Fig. I is an end view of a razor of a late lblade in place for use.

Fig. `II is a similar view showing the position ofthe holder and the flexing of the blade `when the blade has been exed by turning the handle until an abrupt increase in the resistance to further turning of the handle notifies the user that the blade is securely clamped ready for use, but with the cutting edges of the blade in position with reference to the protective guards giving maximum exposure to the cutting edge with safetyv in use.

Iiig. III is a similar view' showing the position of the blade when further flexing is caused by continued turning of the handle and showing the relative position of the cutting edges and protective guards such that the cutting edge presents a minimum exposure. It will be evident that the range in adjustment is thus confined to the positions illustrated by Figs. II and III and that any desired intermediate adjustment may be made by turning the handle.

The operation of this device is dependent upon the change in leverage produced by apying the flexing force to different parts of the blade.

In the drawings 1 is the razor blade of thin ilexible type withtwo cutting edges, 2

-is a cap or clamp with threaded pin 3 adapted to engage with a threaded socket in the handle 4. v5 is the holder carrying guards 6, 6, of either the'bar or comb type, on each side, and carrying a central projecting ridge extending longitudinally parallel to the guards. The upper surface of the holder 5 is Hat, with noprojections excepting the ridge 7, and this upper surface ends abruptly at sharp corner 8, 8, produced by the juxtaposition of the grooves or channels 9, 9.

The drawing Fig. I shows the holder, blade, clamp and handle assembled loosely, the blade not being clamped for use, in whichl position the blade rests upon the ridge 7 and is prevented from tilting by contact with the edges l0, 10, of the clamp 2. Upon turning the handle 4 in a direction to tighten i upon the blade l along thelines of contact 10,

blade but a short distance fromthe fulcrums 10, l0, preventing further turning of the handle 4 unless a much greater force be applied to it than was necessary before the corners 8, 8, made contact with the blade l. In the drawing Fig. II the distance from 10 to 8 measured horizontally is about oneeighth the distance from 10 to 7, and the force required to flex the blade l, by application of the flexing force at 8, 8, is therefore 8 times that necessary to flex it when the flexing force is applied at 7 This abrupt change in the force required to turn the handle 4 is sufficient notice to the user that the blade is firmly clamped and ready for use, and is in a position giving the maximum exposure of the cutting edges consistent with' safety in use. The cutting edges may then be adjusted to any less degree of exposure by turning the handle 4 until as shown by Fig. III the exposure is reduced to the minimum, which may afford little or no exposure, the blade being held in position solely by the lines of contact 8, 8 and by its contact with the clamp 2 at the lines of contact 10, 10 and with other parts of the under side of the clamp with which the curvature of the bladeautomatically may make contact; the blade curving above and away from the ridge 7 It will be apparent that in using this method for the control of the range of adjustment, the change in the relative positions of the cutting edges and their respective guards is effected by movement of both the cutting edges of the blade as well as by movement of the guards, the movement of the latter being rectilinear, while the movement of the cutting edges is curvilinear.

In constructing razors to embody my invention it may often be desirable to replace the sharp corner 8 by a rounded edge or by a small ridge, materially lower than ridge 7, as this type of construction will reduce the danger of breaking the blade by the application of the fiexing force along a sharp 4 line of contact.- In this and in other details I do not confine myself to the exact form of construction shown by the drawings as these are intended merely to illustrate diagramatically the essential features of my invention.

It. will of course be apparent that the rigde 7 may be of any suitable shape or size or may be replaced by two or more parallel ridges, andthat it does not necessarily extend continuously from end to end of the holder 5, but may be formed of or replaced by a number'of points or domes projecting above the surface of the holder 5, the ridge 7 in the drawings being intended diagrammatically to illustrate means for transmitting pressure from the holder 5 upwardly to'a region of the blade which is relatively remote from the cutting edges of the blade but which is not necessarily limited to the region at or immediately adjacent to the central line of the blade.

I' do not herein claim the limitation of the adjustable range in safety razor adjustment except in combination with the particular means herein described, as limitation of adjustability in safety razors has been broadly claimed by me in the application already noted, Serial No. 486,146, filed July 20, 1921, for improvement in safety razors.

It will further be understood that my above described invention may be used' in connection with the construction and operation of safety razors of types differing materially from the Gillette type illustrated by the drawings, and that this type may be modified without departing from the spirit of myvinvention, e. g., the corners 8, 8, described as lines of contact are not necessarily continuous lines, but may be broken at intervals or may consist of a number of points making contact with the blade at the desired distance from the contact lines l0, 10. It will also be understood that the contact lines 10, 10, are not necessarily continuous lines but may be broken at intervals, or may consist of a number of points making contact with the blade at the desired distances from the corners 8, 8, and from the central region at or near the rid e 7.

Having describe my invention, Ilclaim;

1. In an adjustable safety razor comprising in combination a holder with guards, a transversely flexible two-edged razor blade, a clamp for clamping said blade to said holder and' means for'clamping said holder, blade and clamp firmly together, the improvement which consists in means for flexing said blade to a position in Awhich the cutting edges of said blade and their respective guards are in such relative positions as to afford maximum exposure of said cutting edges, consistent with safety in use, said means comprising a narrow surface contact Aat the longitudinal center of the holder adapted to transmit the flexing pressure to a region. adjacent to the middle portion of said blade, and means for further flexing saidblade, whereby said exposure of said cutting edges may be adjustably decreased to the minimum exposure consistent with the efficient use of said cutting edges, said means comprising portions of said holder adapted to Contact with said blade and adapted to transmit the flexing pressure t0 portions of said blade relatively remote from the middle portion of said blade, Wherebv the initial flexing of -the blade is accomplished by the application of a relatively slight flexing force, While further flexing of the blade, comprising an adjustable range in the exposure of its cutting edges, requires the application of a materially greater flexing force.

2. A safety razor including a holder With guard, a clamp engaging said holder, a flexible blade therebetween, a ridge at the longitudinal center of said holder, said blade, at 15 its initial position of lexure, being supported away from the bottom of the guard, and upon the ridge, and in its inal position of adjustment contacting with the under surface of said clamp and out of Contact With 20 said ridge.

vIn Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of June, 1922.

HENRY M. CHANCE. Witnesses FRANK H.y MILLS, CARL K. SCHULZE. 

